Awards

SLADDA

RED DOTS AWARD: BEST OF THE BEST

In many places bicycles play a central role for daily mobility. People use them from early in the morning until late at night. The design of the SLADDA bicycle takes up on this normality and daily routine. Created in partnership with Oskar Juhlin, Jan Puranen and Kristian Eke of Veryday design studio, SLADDA includes features such as automatic gears and a rust- and oil-free belt drive, designed to take the hassle out of cycling and maintenance. A functional click-in system allows the easy mounting of accessories such as baskets and racks. Suited for both the relaxed city ride and the outdoor family adventure, SLADDA encompasses a newfound understanding of mobility. Learn more about SLADDA

IKEA HIGHLIGHTS 2016

AND THE WINNER IS…

WRITER: NICOLA BRANTMARK

2016 was a year of many awards and recognition for IKEA: Three prestigious Red Dot Design Awards, nominated “Most valuable brand" in Sweden, as well as “Best Swedish Company” - not bad going, eh?

The Red Dot Design Award is one of the world’s largest, most important design competitions, presided over by a jury of 41 design experts. Considering that there are close to 5,000 entries each year, winning three awards is no mean feat.

“At IKEA, we’re not just making things – we’re using design to make things better. We work with what we call Democratic Design, where we make sure our products have great function, are beautifully designed and made to stand everyday life, while being sustainable – all made accessible through low prices. These awards show us that we’re on the right path. We’re happy that our colleagues in the design community appreciate our hard work to create products with lots of value,” says Marcus Engman, Head of Design at IKEA of Sweden.

The winning entries were honored at the Red Dot Gala on July 4th, 2016 at the Aalto-theater in Essen, Germany, and thereafter on show at the Red Dot Design Museum.

The SLADDA project team has applied the IKEA heritage of accessibility and created a game-changing bike that breaks all the rules.

The Red Dot Jury

TILLREDA delights with a clear up-to-date design. Well-considered details also give this mobile hob a high level of usability.

The Red Dot July

The LISABO series doesn’t tell people how to furnish their homes, or where to put the pieces. Instead, it supports the users’ own ideas and needs.

The Red Dot July

BEST SWEDISH COMPANY

In a public opinion survey carried out by Schibsted media group, IKEA won the award ’Best Swedish company’. Over 10,500 people voted in the survey that put IKEA on top, claiming the prize at a ceremony in Stockholm in March.

ONE OF THE BEST PLACES IN THE WORLD TO WORK

IKEA has been recognized by Forbes as one of the best companies in the world to work for. Although not in the top spot, IKEA came in at 63rd place, which is quite an achievement considering that the world has an estimated 125 million companies all together!

SWEDEN’S MOST VALUABLE BRAND

According to the world-leading brand valuation company, Brand Finance, IKEA is Sweden’s most valuable brand. Valued at a staggering $17 billion, it tops the list. H&M and Ericsson come in second and third place respectively.

RIGGAD

- A BRIGHT WINNER AT IF DESIGN IN MUNICH

“iF awards outstanding achievements in design. We are very honored to be recognized by iF for the RIGGAD work lamp,” says Björn Block, Range Manager for Lighting and IKEA Home Smart at IKEA of Sweden AB.

RIGGAD charges your smart phone while you work, thereby reducing the stress of running out of battery, and minimizing the number of cables around your desk. See more of RIGGAD work lamp.

iF awards outstanding achievements in design. We are very honored to be recognized by iF for the RIGGAD work lamp.

TILLREDA

RED DOT AWARD: PRODUCT DESIGN

Small space living is the norm in many big cities nowadays, and having a large kitchen is unusual. However, space to cook is crucial. This is why TILLREDA, the mobile induction hob, makes an elegant impression. Robust and manageable it allows cooking wherever there is a power connection nearby. With a carrying handle on its side, also functioning as a cable rewind device, TILLREDA can travel with you. And, when not in use, it can be hung up to save space, thanks to a corresponding holder. The hob offers nine power levels, which can be selected effortlessly via a simply designed control panel. Learn more about TILLREDA

LISABO

RED DOT AWARD: PRODUCT DESIGN

“Like an antelope springing lightly from room to room,” the designers of the LISABO table series aimed to make each piece elegant and lightweight, making each table easy to move around. The centerpiece of the flexible-to-use series is the ash-veneer desk - a real speaker for traditional craftsmanship and well-though tout details. The highlight of the collection is an almost invisible innovation, which cuts assembly time by 80 percent, the wedge dowel. Attached to the table legs, it just needs to be put into the slotted hole in the tabletop and fixed into place. That’s how quick the LISABO assembly is. Learn more about LISABO

A whole host of accolades, both at an IKEA product level and at a local company level, were celebrated in 2016. To mention a few examples:

SAY HELLO TO THE NEW TOP CHEF: YOUR KID

IKEA® 2016 BY NUMBERS

IKEA® stores worldwide

389

IKEA® store visits in millions

915

THE NERDY (BUT OH SO PASSIONATE) TRUTH

MEET BILLY AT HIS COUNTRYSIDE BIRTHPLACE

He has been around for nearly four decades. Most of us have either lived with him or gotten to know him at a friend’s place. Come along and meet BILLY at his countryside birthplace where about 4.5 million BILLY bookcases see daylight each year.

Why not take recycling one step further and actually make new products out of waste? A few years back, someone at IKEA had this ‘crazy idea’… But now, this is turning into reality, saving money for the customers and finite resources for Mother Earth.

Translated into 33 languages, in 48 different markets, reaching about 255 million people, this year’s IKEA Catalogue welcomed everyone to be themselves. The statement was clear: IKEA doesn’t design furniture for consumers - they design for people. And the reality? People are human, and humans are not perfect.

Many companies, organizations and people, together, shape IKEA. Each and every person, idea and solution contribute to the big picture. IKEA Highlights collects stories from different parts of the IKEA world to describe this year’s accomplishments, quirks and maybe even a few slips. Good thing we’re all human.

IKEA HITS THE RUNWAY

A FORCE FOR GOOD DESIGN

A long, long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, David Wahl was given a mission. A young IKEA designer, David was asked to produce a unique object that could defeat the darkness in homes across the planet, bringing light and hope to the many. The result was the IKEA PS Pendant lamp: a planet-like lighting fixture that ‘explodes’ at the pull of a string, spilling warm, glorious light across surrounding spaces.

Have you ever wondered where IKEA came from? Or how a simple country boy from Småland was inspired to create one of the world’s leading brands and help create a better everyday life for millions of people?